Stephen clark wilcox



s. 0. WILGOXT SALT CELLAR.

(N0 Model.)

Patehte'd Feb. 26'. 1884.

Jami,

i tor lg 292mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN CLARK WILOOX, or DUBUQUE, IOWA, Assienon TO n nor DELOS RANDALL, or sAME PLACE. 1

SA LT-CELLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,341, dated February 26, 1884.

Application filed September 8,1883. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN G. WILcox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Im-. provement in Salt-Cellars, of which the following, in connection with the annexed drawingsand letters of reference thereon, is a specification.

My invention relates to a salt-cellar provided with a cover, which excludes air from the salt contained within it, and which saltcellar is provided with a horizontal perforated diaphragm, through which the salt is discharged when the said cover is either removed or thrown up and back on a hinge. A

It also relates to a salt-cellar provided with a cover or plug which has a yielding periphery, whereby the mouth of the salt-cellar 'may be hermetically sealed against the entrance of air while the cover or plug is in position.

In the use of ordinary salt-cellars it .is found that the salt cakes from the action of the air, thus causing great inconvenience; and for remedying the effects of this a shaker has been combined with a salt-cellar, but this does not prevent the salt from caking and sticking tocap elevated. In this view the diaphragm is at the extreme tip ofthe collar of the salt-cellar, and the cap is packed with a ring of rubber on its inner surface. Fig. 5 is a detached sectional view of the plug or top packed with rubber on its periphery, which is con'icalf In the several views of the drawings, A designates a vessel,'of any desired form and configuration, for containing salt. At thetop or salt-cellar into two chambers, 'asd and d, the

perforated plate forming a diaphragm between the said chambers. The interior surface .of the ring is preferably made with an upward ,fiare, so as to insure awedging fit of the cover 'or plug B, The cover or plug 13 shown in Fig. 1 is formed of a metal flanged piece, f, and a disk, f, with a cork, f clamped be tween them. The parts f and f are connected by a riveted rod, f which forms a handle, f, as shown. This cover or plug is of tapering form, and it fits the surface of the device 0 very closely, so that when forced downward its cork f 2 forms an air-tight joint, and-excludes air from entering the chamber d, in which the salt iscontained. If this fit of the plug or cover were not tight, the air would in sinuate itself down around its periphery, and enter the chamber 01, then pass down through the perforations in the diaphragm or plate a into the chamber d, and moisten the salt and cause it to become caked.

In using the salt-cellar the plug or cover is raised and the salt discharged through the perforations of plate d In Fig. 3the plug or cover is hinged at gto the metal finishing of the salt-cellar; but in all other respects the construction and operation are the same as shown in Fig. 1. p

In Fig. 5 the plug or cover is formed with a solid body portion, h, and around the same a rubber gasket, h, is applied. The rubber gasket is to serve the same purpose as the cork body f and therefore I regard this construction as the equivalent of the one shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

In Fig. 4 the perforated plate 0 is applied at the topof the metal finishing of the saltoellar, and a rubber gasket is applied either within the cap-like cover B or upon the periphery of the neck of the salt-cellar. This cap-like cover may also be hinged, as shown in Fig. 3, and on the side opposite to thehinge a suitable spring fastening-catch may be applied. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp v l. A salt-cellar provided with an air-tight closing cover or plug and a perforated diaphragm, substantially as and 'for the purpose described.

, 2. A salt-cellar provided with a ring having a perforated bottom, whereby chambers d and d are formed within the vessel for containing the salt, and with a yielding plug or cover, 5 which fits down into the chamber (1 and seals the chamber (1 hermetically, substantially as described.

3. A salt-cellar, as a new articleof manufacture, provided with a yielding plug or cover, whereby the salt contained in it is excluded 10 from air and prevented from (Baking, substantially as described.

STEPHEN CLARK \VILCOX. Vitnesses:

GEO. GRAY, AL. KOEPFLI. 

